Timeless tales

1955 uranium rumors spark canyon fever

Early in 1955, Palo Duro Canyon State Park was being looked at for something more than its natural beauty.

According to Globe-News files, public interest in the canyon soared in January of that year at the possibility the park might contain deposits of valuable radioactive materials, mainly uranium.

The search for the rare minerals became so popular a local woman was able to reach an agreement with then-park manager Pete Cowart and the State Parks Board to rent Geiger counters to park visitors, according to files.

"Attendance at the park immediately increased," a file story said. "Beguiled by fine weather and the possibility of making a quick million or so, amateur sourdoughs and cliffhangers became a round-the-clock feature of the Palo Duro landscape as they probed the more accessible sections of the park for telltale clicks and meter readings."

Cowart reported gate receipts were up several thousand dollars over receipts from a similar period the year before, according to files.